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Finance and Economic Development in Italy, 1870-1913

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Listed:
  • Andrea Incerpi
  • Barbara Pistoresi
  • Alberto Rinaldi

Abstract

This paper analyses the impact of different sources of financing (foreign capital, migrants remittances, and domestic banks intermediation) on Italy's economic development between 1861 and the World War I. Existing literature has analysed the role of these channels of financial intermediation separately, while this paper for the first time considers them in conjunction. Using IRF from a Cholesky identification structure of a VAR model and relying on an original dataset that combines the most recent series of several financial and economic aggregates, this paper shows that investment in Italy was fueled by a plurality of sources of funding. A crucial role was played by national saving mobilized by domestic banks and also remittances had a significant impact. Our evidence is instead weaker for foreign capital.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrea Incerpi & Barbara Pistoresi & Alberto Rinaldi, 2020. "Finance and Economic Development in Italy, 1870-1913," Department of Economics 0162, University of Modena and Reggio E., Faculty of Economics "Marco Biagi".
    • Handle: RePEc:mod:depeco:0162
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Italy; finance; investment; impulse response function;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F43 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - Economic Growth of Open Economies
    • O11 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • N1 - Economic History - - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics; Industrial Structure; Growth; Fluctuations
    • N7 - Economic History - - Economic History: Transport, International and Domestic Trade, Energy, and Other Services
    • C01 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - General - - - Econometrics

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